Natural capital
For most of industrialization, nature’s gifts-air, Freshwater and oceanFor example-not recognized because it does not require consumption or pollution.
Some conservationists and economists believe that the concept of natural capital can be used to evaluate ecosystems based on the “services” provided by the ecosystem and the cost of repairing it when damaged.
Mary Ruckelshaus, head of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University, admits that this is a complex task.
She gave an example of their work in Belize, where indigenous people, fishermen and real estate developers all value mangroves but have very different ideas about how to deal with mangroves.
Some people value their ability to suppress storm surges, while others prefer to see aquaculture or beaches in their places.
